Which software should I choose when starting a business?
Which is better – Microsoft, Google or Apple? This is something we’re often asked by people starting a business, either as a sole trader or limited company. Emerging in the…
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Securing Remote Work with Microsoft 365
After rapidly enabling their people to work from home, many businesses are now taking time to assess the security of their remote work environments. Common questions that come up include:…
Now part of the Microsoft Partner Network
We’re pleased to announce that Growth Through Knowledge is now a member of the Microsoft Partner Network According to a 2019 Microsoft study*, there are three key reasons small and…
PMO Value Ring (PMO-CP)
Back in the summer of 2019 I received an invitation from Americo Pinto, Chair of the PMO Global Alliance, to attend a one-off session he would be running in central London…
Actionable Insights
Influence decisions and drive change Would you like to create real business value from all that data and information you receive on a daily basis? What you need are actionable insights from data and…
REVIEW: The PMO Lifecycle by William Dow, PMP
“The PMO Lifecycle: Building, Running & Shutting Down” by William Dow, PMP is my go-to book when setting up or improving a PMO, and I keep it close to hand…
REVIEW: Learning Lessons From Projects by Ken Burrell
I read Ken Burrell’s “Learning Lessons from Projects” from cover to cover in one sitting – unusual for me, especially when it comes to business books. What I enjoyed most…
REVIEW: Data Analysis for Management (LSE, 2019)
Over the past 8 weeks I’ve been taking this short course offered by The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), focused on Data Analysis for Management and designed…
Visualising Data
This week’s webinar with PMO Flashmob was an opportunity to share some ideas with PMO practitioners around how to engage senior stakeholders more with the insights they are providing. Many…
Driving PMO Impact 5
This is how I think about PMO; moving the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to build the full picture. Before you start a puzzle, do you count how many pieces…
Driving PMO Impact 4
“There can hardly be a firm that has not invested, always significantly and often hugely, in IT systems, the goal of which is to provide a better understanding of the…
Driving PMO Impact 3
What’s the impact of approaching a PPM tool implementation in the “wrong” way? I’ve worked on several PPM tool deployments, and one of my biggest frustrations is caused by the…
Driving PMO Impact 2
So how does the PMO build a compelling case for investment in a PPM tool? The finance, HR and sales teams focused on this when they prepared their business cases…
Driving PMO Impact 1
A PPM tool is software designed to be an enterprise-wide, strategic solution which facilitates more effective project portfolio management. It’s a multi-million turnover industry, full of hundreds of options ranging…
Further resources for PMO Practitioners
For my final Friday Insights post of the month, I wanted to take the opportunity to signpost the community towards some resources that I find useful alongside the Major Projects…
The PMO; a knowledge broker in project-based organisations
The inspiration for this week’s Friday Insight post for the Major Projects Knowledge Hub came from the last PMO Flashmob online meetup of the summer, which included a discussion on…
Right person, wrong place?
We’ve been lucky to have a few virtual events this week, which have spoilt me for choice when contemplating this week’s Friday Insight post for the Major Projects Knowledge Hub.…
The Real “P” in PMO
This week’s shared insight is from a personal perspective, and something I hope will help you as you finish your working week and start looking forward to the next. As…
PPM Tools: 6 questions to ask first
In the previous post, I cautioned against starting your PPM tool journey by contacting vendors and looking at the various tools on offer; that it’s the equivalent of deciding on…
So you think you need a PPM tool?
Picture this scenario: Your company has been running various projects and programmes for a while now, with varying degrees of success regarding delivery. Those that do go well often don’t…
What is PMO?
A PMO – project, programme and/or portfolio management office – is the function or department that defines & maintains standards for managing change within an organisation. Providing expert guidance, support & coaching to the project…
Adding Value
What does it REALLY mean & how can the PMO achieve it? The truth is, it’s not up to the PMO to determine whether it is adding value or not…
Business Analysis – a skillset for the Strategic PMO?
I’ve often thought that business analysis comes in very useful for a PMO. It is accepted wisdom that a good PMO leader will have a background in project management, as…